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neck hurts drinking out of a can, anyone else?

My C5-6 ACDF is fused fine. C4-5 bulging above now. I have noticed lately that when I try to drink out of a coke can to get the last 1/4 of it, my neck hurts terribly. I also have a lot of shoulder pain, neck pain and stiffness. Lots of muscle spasms too. I attributed a lot of it to driving 8 hrs a day, but the drinking/pain problems are fairly new. Anyone else have this problem? Any ideas about causes? Seems like every 6 mos or so I just fall apart a little more :''( I made a resolution the first of the year that this was going to be the year I didn't have any surgerys! I hope this new pain problem isn't going to blow that resolution Thanks for any suggestions.....Maggie

I have 3 fused (or fusing) discs in my neck from C3 > C6 and while I don't drink soda, I can't drink out of a water bottle and finish it unless I use a straw (at least not without some serious pain). Lots of stuff I can't do these days but most of them have work arounds and might not be such good ideas anyway (like trying to hold a phone between neck and shoulder).

My bottom line is if it hurts no matter what, its a problem but if it hurts when I do something I can prevent or do a different way, its not a problem.

drinking out of a can is very hard to do. My last cervical surgery was in 2000 and I still have a problem if I try putting my head back to drink from a can.There have been two major restrictions since my ACDF surgeries:

1- Putting my chin to my chest2- Putting my head back looking at the sky

I was on a recent vacation to Italy.. With my cervical, thoracic and lumbar problems, we were not sure how I would handle all the walking, etc. I did great, had no problems UNTIL we went to a museum in Rome and wanted to look at the paintings on the ceiling. I did for just a bit and for a couple of days, my neck muscles were stinging.

Ron DiLauro Veritas-Health Forums Manager I am not a medical professional. I comment on personal experiences

what does it mean if you can't tilt your head back - as in drinking from a soda can - IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD SURGERY?

As I read all your posts, you all have had surgery....I have not - but 2 years after all this started....i haven't been able to tilt my head back to drink from a can for the year of so and it is even now worse since the botox (2/13) injections into my trap muscle (nk and back 4 shots)

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